Do You Know What L Stands For?
by Child of Wind and Wolves
Summary: A forgotten past, one hidden from everyone, makes one woman a mystery. What can she do to help bring do the killer who has brought fear into many people's hearts? What can she do to make one person see that there is more to the world then unsolved cases?
1. Case One

Do You know what 'L' Stands for?

Chapter One~ Fate's First Step

I walked next to a boy my age, each of us looking as though a reflection of the other. We were twins, of course we would look alike. He had let his hair grow a bit longer then normal, his way of protecting me from some of the bullies at school. We walked down the street towards our school, his hand clutched in mine. He was telling me about times our Father had during his days at the police department in Kyoto.

"Father and his partner caught the robber the next day. It was a quick day, he told." Hiroshi finished as we walked. I smiled over at him before I spoke.

"Our Father is so cool. Always catching the bad guys and never getting hurt. I want to be just like him when I grow up." I grinned at the thought, I'd protect so many people. I'd be able to make the world a better place for every one.

"You know that kind of job is very hard and dangerous but I promise you I will always be here to protect you. I won't let any of those bad guys ever hurt you and I'll always protect you, Haru-chan" Hiroshi told me, smiling the entire time.

"I know you will Hiro-kun. You never let me get hurt." We continued to walk, talking a bit about different things until we got to school.

Hiroshi and I sat together in the classroom, hardly ever being separated even in school. The teacher had given us some work and I finished it quickly, already knowing how to work the problems and such. I glanced over to Hiroshi, seeing he had also finished. The two of us were always the first to finish but Hiroshi was always faster then I was.

I opened the sketch pad that I carried with me started on a new drawing. My skills with the arts was actually really good for my age, whereas my brother was smarter then me. We were always told that we would go far in the world but it confused me a bit. Did they mean we would travel all over the place? I never understood it but I never told the adults that.

It seemed like soon after we were dismissed to head home, the day seemed to had passed by pretty quickly. "Hiro-kun, did the day go faster then normal?" I looked at my brother, wondering if he felt the same.

"This day has got by faster then normal. Lets head home and get something to eat." He smiled at me as we started to walk back to our house. As we walked I noticed something odd, the clouds were black and looked more like smoke then a cloud. I wondered what was going on to make them look like that but didn't think more of it as Hiroshi and I walked home.

"NO, MOTHER! FATHER!" I saw Hiroshi look in front of us, where our house was. I looked as well, only to find it was on fire. We both ran, trying to figure out if our parents were okay. Hiroshi made it past the firemen but they managed to hold me back. I screamed, trying to call my brother or my parents.

"HIROSHI! MOTHER! FATHER!" I tried to wiggle out of the fireman's arms, not hearing a word he said to me. He held me back, keeping me from going to my family. Soon the fire was out but all that remained of my house was ashes. A fireman came from the ruins of the house and shook his head. That was when I started to cry.

"I'm sorry, no one was found alive. I'm very sorry." The fireman holding me had finally put me down and apologized to me. I sat on the sidewalk, my back to the charred remains of the house. I had went through it and found a single photograph that was charred around the edges but wasn't burnt too badly. I stared at the photo, tears still running down my face. What would happen to me now? I was all alone in the world.

"Are you Ms. Kasumi?" A man in a dark suit addressed me from beside a dark car. I simply nodded my head, not having the strength to speak anymore. "Then will you please follow me, I'm going to take you to an orphanage with lots of other children." I just stood up and followed him, the charred picture in my hand.

After a long time, not that I knew exactly how long, and a plane ride we arrived at the gates of a big building. The gates opened and the man, I learned by now to be Watari, drove the car through to the front of the building. He parked and lead me into the building.

I saw many kids, all different ages, walking or sitting around the first room we came to. Watari lead me into an office-like room and sat down behind a desk.

"Ms. Kasumi, this is Wammy's Orphanage, one for gifted children that will one day change the world for the better. Everyone here, though, is required to go by a different name then the one given to you at birth. Do you happen to have anything in mind you want to be called?" I shook my head, I didn't know of anything I wanted to be called. At that point I just wanted to sleep.

"Alright then. How does Hanako Masuyo sound to you?" I nodded my head, looking around the quite and a bit dark room. "Alright then, your room mate will be Ryuzaki. I am sure you two will be able to get along quite nicely." Watari stood up and motioned for me to follow him. I walked with him out of the office room and up a large flight of stairs. He lead me down a corridor of rooms before stopping at one and opening the door.

"Ryuzaki, this is Hanako. She will be staying in this room with you. Please try to be friendly with each other." Watari said before letting me into the room and closing the door behind me.

A/N

So how was that for a revision. I made it quite longer and more detailed, hopefully the events will flow more evenly now. I know this isn't the dialect of a 9-year-old but I have long passed the age where I could remember how they talked. So next chapter will move into her relationship with Ryuzaki at Wammy's and her new life. Hope everyone enjoyed.


	2. Case Two

Do You Know What "L" Stands For?

Chapter Two~ Nothing is ever Easy

It had been a week since I was brought to this place, I still didn't feel at home. This wasn't my home, it was just a place where they had taken me. My home was in Japan, with my family, at least that is where it was supposed to be. My family was gone, my brother missing and my parents dead from the fire. Why do things like that hapen? Why must children suffer so? That was something I couldn't understand, something I would probably never understand. My room mate was nice to me, never really talked more then he needed. He was also very smart, more so then you would think really.

I sat on my bed, staring out the window at the trees around the orphanage. There weren't many trees but the ones that were there were situated just outside our window. I sighed slightly, wishing I could go back to Japan. I missed it dearly, I wanted to be in my home land once more. Not in this country, this odd place. I wasn't born in England, I had no place here. The only reason I was there was because of the orphanage. I still didn't see the difference in the one I was at and others. Was there any differeance, they both housed children with no families, no place to call home anymore.

"Hanako-san, you haven't left this room much since you arrived. Don't you want to explore the house a bit more?" Ryuzaki asked, suprising me at his use of the Japanese suffix.

"Not really, Ryuzaki-san. I'm content just sitting here thinking and looking at the trees outside." I told him what I thought was the truth. I was happy just thinking about nothing and not leaving the room I had come to know. In truth the only time I had left the room was when I was called out or needed the bathroom. Other then that I sat in the room, reading or drawing.

"Hanako-san, you need to leave the room. I understand that you went through something rough but at least try to adapt to the situation." Ryuzaki's words sounded older then he was, something that was odd to me. That just proved he was smarter beyond his years. I sighed slightly, I knew he was right, he generally was right.

"I guess. What time is lunch or whatever it is?" I couldn't think of the right terms for some reason. I just watched him as he glanced to the clock hanging over the door.

"In a few minutes actually. Come on, lets head down and get seats." Ryuzaki stood up from his chair and waited for me to stand as well. I stood reluctantly and followed him out of the room and down the hall. I never noticed but he semed to not stand straight up, something I thought would haunt him for the rest of his life. I had seen what happened to my grandma.

We arrived in the dinning area and found a few others there. There was one boy whom looked similar to Ryuzaki but not exactly. With some make-up they'd be twins, and a girl who seemed to be involved in reading. Neither really seemed to notice that we had walked in. Ryuzaki led me to one of the many seats and took one next to me. Soon after the room started to fill with other children. Needless to say I got many strange looks, after all I hadn't been out of my room much if absolutly necissary.

I stood at the door, looking up the stairs I was hoping that Ryuzaki would come down to see me before I had to leave. I was finally going back to Japan. I was going to study there to become a better artist and also to work as an ivestigater. I had decided against being in the actual police force, this way was safer and I could still help them.

I heard footsteps coming down the stairs and quickly looked up them. I found the person to be Ryuzaki and smiled. I was sure he would come down sooner or later, I was just hoping it would be sooner. I walked to the foot of the stairs, leaving my luggage where is sat and watched him come down the stairs. We sure had grown quite a bit in these last five years, we had even grown closer.

"Ryu-kun, I'm glad you came down. I was hoping to properly say good bye before I left." I spoke over the lump in my thoat that seemed to choak me. I wanted to cry so much because I knew I wouldn't see him for a long time yet.

"I wouldn't miss this last chance, Hana-chan." Ryuzaki smiled at me, a bit of a lopsided boyish grin. It made me blush, something I couldn't understand.

"I'm going to miss you so much. Please try to stay in contact with me. If I can't have a picture of you I'd at least like to hear your voice every now and then." I smiled at him sadly, tears starting to blur my vison. Then I just pushed forward and hugged him tight. I didn't want to let go of him and, from what I felt, he didn't either.

"I'm sorry Hana-chan, I'm not sure I can promise that. I will try to keep in touch." He finally pulled away and pushed me slightly towards Watari. I cried, I didn't eve fight it. I was going to miss the place I was raised for almost six years. I was going to miss him.

That was when my new life started, when everything changed and all I knew was ripped away for a second time. Nothing was supposed to be normal anymore I guess. This was just to be my life, always being torn from the ones I loved either by death or distance.

A/N

Wow took two chapters for the Wammy's House to be over. Last time I went a bit faster. I hope this is to everyone's liking. I will try to update quick but we have West Test this week, next week will be Seinor graduation then the following week Finals. Ugh, stoopid high school life XD


	3. Case Three

Do You Know What "L" Stands For?

Chapter Three~ Time and Distance

"Hanako, have you made any further progress on the case?" I heard a familiar voice ask me. I turned away from the paper work that was giving me a throbbing headache and gently shook my head. This was going to be one of the more difficult cases to crack.

"No sir. I haven't found anything that leads to a concrete suspect. All I have are theories about who did this and none of them are completely fool-proof either." I told Chief Yagami as I turned to face him. I gently rubbed the bridge of my nose to try to relive some of the pain I was feeling in my head.

"Why don't you head home? You have been here for a long time, you need some rest." Soichiro Yagami suggested. I simply smiled kindly at him, honestly appreciating the suggestion.

"I still have to do some research on that Kira case. Thank you sir but I think I'll stay here for a while longer." I said, giving him a slight nod before I turned back to my work. In all truth, I was investigating 3 different cases. I had the one I was assigned, the Nanaka murder, and the two that I had decided to take on. One was the Kira case and the other was really a more personal matter, trying to find my brother. Even after ten years I still hadn't given up hope that he was still alive somewhere.

After a couple more hours sitting at my desk I decided to head home. I picked up the case folders that I carried with me most of the time and made my way out of the building and to my car. The sky was dark and the stars were blocked out by clouds, I sighed at the sight. It was going to be another gloomy day it seemed. I placed the files in the passenger seat and started the car, already thinking about the left-overs I was going to eat for dinner.

I locked the door to my apartment behind me, switching on the lights as I went into it. I checked my answering machine for any messages and found that there were none. I then walked into my kitchen and decided against eating. I was just going to take an aspirin before heading to bed. I sighed slightly, knowing that it wasn't healthy to skip as many meals as I did but there wasn't much that one could do when they had no appetite.

A/N

I know this is a very very short chapter but I needed to get a little bit out of the way. I'm sorry for not updating in such a long time. I had writer's block for this story and now I can finally work again. The next chapter shouldn't take months, as this one had, but it could be a bit longer. I have final exams (that sounds familiar xD) coming up next week then we switch over to second semester. Next semester shouldn't mess with my posting, all but one class will be somewhat simple. Either way I am sorry for leaving it off for so long but I have not given up on this story.


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